Cry
by Tialys
Summary: Songfic using "Cry" by Mandy Moore. After Frodo's parents die, he meets an elf and learns about immortality.


Cry ~ by Tialys Alaria  
  
~*~*~*~  
  
"Cry" is by Mandy Moore, and is off the "A Walk to Remember" soundtrack. Lines from this song will be in-between *s. I might have changed the character's ages around a bit. Hopefully you won't mind too much. The first time I heard this song I knew I wanted to write a song-fic using it, but I couldn't figure out how to fit it in. The idea finally came to me at 3 A.M. I hope you like it. Also, Taethowen is not a Mary-Sue. Enjoy, and please review.  
  
~*~*~*~  
  
A young Frodo Baggins pushed his way through the growing crowd of hobbits that had gathered by the Brandywine. All the hushed voices scared him. Something terrible had happened. The hobbits suddenly took notice of him, and many hands reached out to hold him back, but he wiggled free, nervous. No one but his parents was allowed to grab him like that. Many voices floated through the crowd to him. All saying quiet words, like "No, son" or "Come here, dear". All failing to bring their attempted comfort. Frodo ignored them, and soon reached the crowd's center.  
  
~  
  
Frodo ran. He was unsure of his destination, and hardly cared. He was alone. No one would care where he was anyway. Thick woods loomed in front of him. Through his tears he could barely see them, much less find in the jumble of his mind what forest it was. He pushed through thick branches, ignoring the tiny stings of thorns pushing at him. The swimming image before his eyes grew foggier, and he never saw the tree spouting from the ground before him. He ran hard into the firm trunk and fell, stunned, to the ground. His head was swimming in pain, and his parents were dead.  
  
That was how the elf found him.  
  
Frodo was vaguely aware of the figure kneeling next to him, but his head hurt too much for him to truly care. A soft voice broke through the throbbing of his head.  
  
"Little one, are you alright?"  
  
Frodo blinked, and gasped on seeing an elf leaning over him. He sat up quickly, but fell right back again at the pain in his head.  
  
"Do not try to get up," the elf whispered. "Just lie down."  
  
Frodo nodded slightly, and, blinking, opened his eyes. The elf was a girl, and...tall! Even kneeling down, Frodo could tell she must be at least five and a half feet tall! Her hair was a dirty blonde, and her eyes a blue identical to his own.  
  
The elf maiden smiled at him. "What happened to you?"  
  
* I'll always remember *  
  
* It was late afternoon *  
  
Frodo felt tears building up in his eyes. Should he tell the elf? Would she even care? Elves were immortal. Surely they had better things to do than talk to young hobbits. He looked up again, and the look in the elf's eyes was enough. He sat up slowly, and waited for the swimming in his head to pass.  
  
"My parents are gone," He whispered, so the elf could barely hear him.  
  
Her eyes grew dark. "Where are they?"  
  
"They drownded," He said, even softer this time. "They're gone."  
  
He did not look at the elf. She would not understand, elves were immortal. They would not understand death. He did not really, and had never even thought of it until now.  
  
Silence followed his words, and he finally looked up to the elf.  
  
She was crying; tears silently rolling down her face.  
  
"I'm sorry, little one," She said.  
  
Frodo's eyes clouded, "How would you know?" He said. "You've never had anyone from your family die. You're immortal!" He had not meant to seem so harsh, but he was angry, and searching for someone to direct his anger toward.  
  
The elf gasped, and Frodo looked up, startled.  
  
"What would you know, halfling?" She said. Fresh tears brimmed in her eyes, and Frodo saw for the first time that she did not appear much older than he did. She seemed to be no older than sixteen. Something had happened to her, too. Something bad.  
  
She was crying now, and had to lean back against the tree to support herself. Frodo shifted closer to her.  
  
"What happened?" He asked timidly. Hoping the elf was not mad at him.  
  
She blinked, clearing the tears from her eyes. "My family, too, is gone."  
  
"How?" Frodo asked. "You're-"  
  
"Immortal?" The elf sighed. "Not completely. Elves cannot die of age or sickness...but there are other ways to die."  
  
Frodo swallowed. He did not want to hear of these 'other ways'. Thankfully, the elf did not embellish.  
  
"Sorry." He said, leaning against her. "I guess you're alone, too."  
  
The elf was silent.  
  
Frodo grew bolder by this, "What is your name?"  
  
"Taethowen. And yours?"  
  
Frodo, remembering his manners, scrambled to his feet, and bowed to the elf. "Frodo Baggins," He announced. "Son of-" He stopped.  
  
"Frodo." He stated simply.  
  
The elf stood, bowing in return. "Well then, Frodo, if you can make it from here; namarie."  
  
* It lasted forever *  
  
* And ended so soon *  
  
The elf turned and walked on, toward what Frodo now knew was the Sea. When the elf was out of sight, he followed.  
  
Hobbits can walk as silently as elves if they try hard enough, and his presence went unnoticed, or at least unacknowledged.  
  
In front of him, the elf stopped, and Frodo ducked behind a tree, watching. Taethowen's gaze turned upward, staring towards the cloudy sky. In the foggy moonlight, for it now was night, it seemed to Frodo she was almost glowing.  
  
* You were all by yourself *  
  
* Staring up at a dark gray sky *  
  
* I was changed *  
  
She smiled, and turned looking directly at Frodo, as though she could see through the tree. "You can come out now."  
  
Frodo blushed, and stepped out from behind his useless cover.  
  
"I'm sorry, Taethowen..." He stammered. "I just-"  
  
But the elf cut him off. "It's alright, Frodo." She smiled, "and just call me 'Tai'."  
  
Frodo nodded. "Where are you going?"  
  
Tai sighed, avoiding the hobbit's eyes. Frodo could discern nothing from her face, and his question went unanswered, for the time.  
  
* In places no one will find *  
  
* All your feelings so deep inside *  
  
Tai finally spoke. "I am leaving Middle-Earth, little one."  
  
"Leaving?" Frodo's face fell. Elves left Middle-Earth? "Where will you go?"  
  
The elf smiled...a sad smile. "Across the Sea; to the Grey Havens."  
  
Frodo had heard of the Grey Havens. His Uncle Bilbo had told him countless stories of the elves, and the lands across the Sea. But in those stories, the elves left in groups, with friends and family. Never had he heard a tale of a lone elf leaving Middle-Earth.  
  
"Why?..." He asked.  
  
"You would not understand, halfling," She said. "You just would not understand. You are not immortal. You think it is a wondrous thing, and, at times, it is. But it is..." She paused, searching for the right word. "Frightening."  
  
"Frightening?" Frodo asked.  
  
"Yes. To you, death always comes at a good time. It is not always when we would like, but your lives are so short that is never far from the time."  
  
Frodo nodded, feeling a bit better about his parents' death. A bit.  
  
"But," Tai continued. "When an immortal dies, their death is nowhere close to the right time. There should never be a 'right time'....Never. Death, to an elf, is......the loss of eternity."  
  
And as Taethowen stood, silently weeping, it slowly sank in to Frodo what being immortal meant.  
  
* Was then that I realized *  
  
* That forever was in your eyes *  
  
* The moment I saw you cry *  
  
Taethowen straightened, "You should head back now, little one. I am sure your other relatives must be worried about you."  
  
Frodo shook his head; "They do not care..."  
  
She turned, shocked. "Why would you think that?"  
  
"There's a lot of them. One hobbit will not be missed."  
  
She walked to him, and looked hard into his eyes; her own ice blue ones seeming to have a cold center; but her words discouraged that idea. "This one will."  
  
Frodo looked straight into her eyes; "Then won't you be missed, too?"  
  
~  
  
Frodo ran, sure of his destination. He was running home.  
  
~  
  
-Years later....  
  
Frodo Baggins sat curled in the crook of a tree branch, smoking his pipe. Below him, on the ground, Samwise Gamgee stirred around the meat cooking over their small fire. Singing came to them. Softly at first, then closer. Both hobbits looked up, surprised at the sound.  
  
"Sam," Frodo said to the hobbit on the ground, instantly recognizing the beautiful voices. "Wood elves!"  
  
Both hobbits crept forward, and peered over a fallen log. A line of many elves marched slowly through the woods, singing softly. They all seemed to glow with a white light.  
  
The hobbits stared, entranced by the sight. Frodo more so at the sight of one of them. He leapt from behind his hiding place calling softly to one elf.  
  
"Taethowen!"  
  
* It was late in September *  
  
* And I've seen you before *  
  
The elf turned, smiling at the hobbit running towards her.  
  
"Mae Govannen, little one."  
  
Frodo glanced at the line of elves slowly winding past them, then back to Taethowen.  
  
"Tai," he said, remembering her preferred name. "Are you leaving?"  
  
* You were always the cold one *  
  
* But I was never that sure *  
  
She smiled grimly. "Yes, little one. I am truly leaving now. I would stay, but-"  
  
Frodo shook his head. "It is not as bad now. I mean...I'll miss you, but you're not alone this time."  
  
Tai glanced over Frodo's shoulder at Sam, standing in awe behind his master. She looked back to Frodo; "Neither are you, little one."  
  
A single tear ran down both their cheeks; and in unison, farewells were made. "Namarie."  
  
* Was now that I realized *  
  
* That forever was in your eyes *  
  
* The moment I saw you cry *  
  
~*~*~*~  
  
June 6, 2003  
  
~*~*~*~ 


End file.
